Sprint has announced that Boost Mobile HTC EVO Design 4G (left) and the Virgin Mobile HTC EVO V 4G (right) will both be available on May 31 for $299.99 each.

The HTC EVO Design 4G Boost's first 4G WiMAX phone and as well as the the carrier's first Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" device and the first with visual voicemail. It requires Boost's $55 Unlimited Monthly Plan with includes the Shrinkage feature that reduces the monthly fee by five dollars for every six on time plan renewals. The maximum reduction under shrinkage is $15 which brings the monthly charge to just $40 after 18 months.

The Design 4G is also Boost's first phone to officially include a mobile hotspot feature, which allows up to five WiFi equipped devices to share the phone's 3G or 4G connection. However, if you want to use the hotspot feature, there will be an extra $10/month charge on top of the usual $55/month (before shrinkage).

In the bad news department, "latter this year", Boost will institute a soft data cap. After 2.5 GB are consumed in a month, data speed will be throttled to 256 Mbps for the rest of the month. The cap only applies to 3G data. There is no cap or throttle on 4G WiMAX data.

Virgin Mobile's new WiMax phone is a rebranded version of Sprint's HTC EVO 3D. Like its Boost cousin, it will ship with Android 4.0 (ICS) and Hotspot. The EVO V 4G can be used on any of Virgin's current Beyond Talk plans which start at $35/month for unlimited 3G/4Gdata (3 G data is throttled to 256 Kbps after 2.5 GB, there's no cap or throttle on 4G WiMAX).

Using the hotspot feature on Virgin Mobile will cost you $15/month, $5 more than with Boost.

Later this year, in order to provide the best value and customer experience, Boost Mobile will move to reduce 3G/4G data speeds to 3G speeds of 256kbps when a customer’s data usage exceeds 2.5GB in a month. Customers who go over the 2.5GB threshold may experience slower page loads, file downloads and streaming media. Data speeds will restore to full 3G/4G speeds when a customer’s new monthly plan begins. Boost Mobile will continue to provide unlimited data access without a contract, usage cap, overage or activation fees. Based on recent usage patterns, approximately 95 percent of Boost Mobile customers use less than 2.5GB of data usage per month and will not experience any difference in their experience. Boost Mobile is committed to ensuring an unlimited robust data experience and intends to maintain 3G data speeds of 256 Kbps even after surpassing 2.5GB in a given month.

So in my words, Boost Mobile's 3G users are really not affected by this since my ZTE Warp already gets 256kbps of 3G data anyways.

@ David - I think you misunderstand this. It's exactly the opposite of what you are saying. The 3G customers ARE the ones affected. It is the 4G customers who are immune from the soft cap & throttling ... except when they are out of Wimax range & their devices start clocking 3G data usage up to 2.5GB (or 3.5GB if they have purchased the $10 hotspot option I believe. Boost's claim that it's decision to degrade 3G users' service after reaching an arbitrary threshold is being instituted "in order to provide the best value and customer experience" is perplexing and disingenuous to say the least!

3G on Sprint sucks. This is a desperate move to free up bandwidth on the network. They are trying to move NEXTEL customers to Sprint 3G. Boost 3G to the Sprint 4G network. And Sprint Direct customers from 4G WIMAX to LTE

I have a Sprint Motorola Photon 4G phone and I can tell you that the speed and availability of 4G is lacking to put it modestly (in southern cali). Also, Sprint is moving to LTE 4G so it doesn't make sense to buy a WiMax 4G phone at this point since Sprint will no longer be expanding the WiMax network.

If you are a homebody with a WiFi network then the whole 3G/4G thing will not be an issue. I rarely go over 500MB/month but then I'm mostly on WiFi.

However, if you travel extensively... I can tell you from my experience that Sprint 3G/4G coverage is spotty. As an example, I always have problems getting decent 3G/4G in Las Vegas. Also, New Jersey is awful for Sprint coverage.

wimax isnt going anywhere till 2015. sprint has to keep their current customers happy, and turning off wimax for no reason will void their contract. Sprint would lose millions of customers if the customer wanted to leave their contract. wimax will be shut down kinda like how the nextel network is being shut down (very slowly)..... anyways this is the best deal in pre-paid imo after 18 months a $40 plan with a 10 mbps connection is the way to go if you get wimax in your city. t mobile plans are $60 for 2 gb and the speeds are slightly faster on hspa + but still a good deal

I have the boost mobile galaxy s2 4g and i do get a 4g signal where i live. I also have my phone double as a mobile wifi hot spot. Service as far as 3g goes its great. It depends on where u are located in my city to get a 4g signal. As far as mobile wifi hot spot goes it works great too. I would consider my phone to be just as fast as any other mid range droid on the market pre paid or contract. boost mobile has definitely stepped their game up.